Brockswood Dog Run

18/06/2025

We're expecting a scorcher this weekend (30°C+!), and while you might be dreaming of cocktails and working on that tan, your dog is likely just dreaming of shade and a good nap.

Here are some top tips for keeping your furry friends cool:

• Stick to early morning or evening strolls and avoid that midday sun if possible!
• Keep water bowls topped up and maybe freeze some tasty treats for extra points from your waggy pals - it can be as simple as some mashed banana in ice cube trays, or why not pop into the sanctuary and pick up a couple of tubs of dog ice-cream?
• Will the real Slim Shady please lie down? Make sure your pooches have some shady spots or get creative and build a sail out of that old sheet you've been meaning to get rid of.
• Do the 5-second hand test - if you can’t hold your hand on the ground comfortably, your dog’s paws definitely can’t handle it. Those toe beans are precious.
• We can't stress it enough... hot cars are bad. Always. Brockswood is an entirely dog-friendly space, so if your pup's with you, bring them in with you. We don’t want to see any dogs left in hot cars, even for “just a minute.” It’s never safe, even with windows cracked.
If you're unsure, grab a team member - we're always happy to help you find a shady spot or a water bowl (we love any excuse to meet them too!)

🐕 Booked a slot in the dog run? You'll find natural shady spots and cool water on hand, but as a sanctuary, animal welfare is our top priority. If it’s too hot, grab yourself a Wagnum and drop us an email - we’ll be happy to help you reschedule.

Top tip: Sign up on our website and you can manage your bookings yourself - no need to wait for us!

Stay cool, stay pawsome, and enjoy the weather together safely.

Marshfield Farm Ice Cream

04/05/2025

We had the gorgeous Yogi visit the dog run the other day.

This handsome chap is still only young at just 22 months old and had so much fun bounding around the dog run. He was such a sweet boy and came to greet the keepers on his way home and pose for some photos.

We truly love meeting all of your four legged friends when they visit the dog run, as well as the sanctuary. Thank you all for your continued support, every time you visit our dog run, you’re helping to contribute to the ongoing care of our rescued residents out on the farm and it all helps so much!

29/03/2025

We’ve had a few people get in touch following our last post to ask a very important question: “Are XL Bullies welcome at your dog run?” And we want to say, loud and clear — yes, absolutely!

We understand how difficult it’s become to find safe, secure places where your dogs can enjoy some off-lead time and just be dogs. Here at the sanctuary, we believe every dog deserves the chance to run, play, sniff the breeze, and feel the grass under their paws — and that includes XL Bullies.

We’ve met so many gentle, loving XLs and know that they are individuals, not headlines. Breed doesn’t define them — love, care, and training do. And the bond we’ve seen between these dogs and their family members speaks volumes.

That said, to make sure we can continue welcoming XLs to our dog run, we do kindly ask that owners follow the current legal requirements:

🎾 Your dog must be registered on the Exempted List, with valid Public Liability Insurance.
🎾 XL Bullies must arrive and leave on lead and wearing a muzzle (once inside the enclosed run, leads and muzzles can come off!).
🎾 Please bring proof of your insurance (this can be as simple as a photo or screenshot) as we may ask to see them, just to make sure we’re keeping everything above board as per our own insurance responsibilities.

These steps are vital in helping us continue to offer a welcoming space to all responsible dog owners, including those with exempted dogs.

We want to thank every XL Bully carer who’s visited us so far — your kindness, understanding, and care for your dogs has been wonderful to see and we are grateful to you for following our rules.

If you’ve got any questions at all, please don’t hesitate to get in touch. We’re always happy to chat.

25/03/2025

You asked, we listened – you can now book the Sanctuary Dog Run by duration! Whether you want a quick 30-minute run or a full hour of zoomies, it's never been easier to get the time you need without booking multiple slots.

We’ve also added a 10-minute buffer time between sessions to give dogs (and humans!) a little breathing space before and after their visit. This means less stress, less overlap, and more peace of mind – especially if your dog is reactive, nervous, or just enjoys their own company.

✅ Fully secure, private use ✅ Natural setting with space to roam ✅ All proceeds support rescued animals at Brockswood Animal Sanctuary.

📲 Ready to book? Run over here together: https://www.brockswood.org.uk/dogrun

See you soon for a tail-wagging good time! 🐾

07/12/2024

We know many of you aren't fair weather walkers, but due to the battering the sanctuary is taking throughout this storm, we are closing our dog run for the duration for you and your dogs' safety. We have already sustained a lot of damage and foresee more as continues to rip through us. We're so sorry for any disappointment caused, and thank you for understanding. If you can stay home, please do so and stay safe!

‼️ WE ARE CLOSED ‼️ We have been hit very hard by Storm Darragh and between keeping the animals calm, safe and warm, we are now battling everything that it is literally being thrown against us here. So far we have lost shelter roofing, sheep/pig arcs, and fencing, with more damage continuing as the morning progresses. We are also flooding with the shear volume of rain pelting down.

Please do not worry about the animals, they are all absolutely fine. Thank you to our team for working through it to care for them, you are superstars!

Please stay home if you can and stay safe!

05/08/2024

Amber and Arlo had so much fun in the dog run!

They loved sniffing around taking in all the scents from the other dogs and chasing after the toys. They definitely left tired but happy!

04/07/2024

All mowed and ready for your next run! 🐶

18/03/2024

Following discussions with our insurance company, we're pleased to be able to welcome your XL Bully dogs to the dog run! As Brockswood is a public place, your dogs will need to be muzzled and kept on a lead outside of the run, but once inside the Secure Dog Run area, you are very welcome to remove these and let them enjoy the freedom to run, play and just be dogs, safe and secure.

We are only insured to continue to offer this service to you as long as we have seen a copy of your insurance so please be ready to show us this on arrival. Thank you for your kind cooperation and for allowing us to continue to offer this service!

As always, your well-behaved dogs will be welcome to visit the sanctuary too, again as we are a public place, simply treat us as you would a walk anywhere else with your big softies (no need to show us your insurance for these visits).

We appreciate your patience while we were working to resolve this issue, and we look forward to welcoming you and your furry companions soon. 🐾

🐶🐾

20/01/2024

Just to reassure those of you using our dog run that this is still open if you’ve booked your lovely waggy pals in for a run today. We’ve arrived to find a large block of ice in place of a water bowl so are currently thawing this out and working on getting our tap working for you! ❄️

Wrap up warm and take care 🥰🐾

06/01/2024

We would like to say an enormous thank you to Stourbridge lawn tennis and squash club for their donation of tennis balls for our dog run.

As many of you know we have various toys down the dog run for all of you to enjoy with your dogs during your visits and tennis balls are one of the most popular, so we know these will be very much appreciated. It was such a lovely surprise and we are so very grateful!